


Together in Keterburg

by Tormented_Gale



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Birthday Present, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 09:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2503091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tormented_Gale/pseuds/Tormented_Gale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peony and Aslan get snowed in while they're visiting Keterburg.</p><p>Tumblr Prompt: I don't actually have the original prompt, but it was a gift fic requested by one tumblr user for another. PeonyXAslan, Fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together in Keterburg

They were literally snowed in. Maybe it was just divine retribution for not visiting Keterburg more often - certainly Peony didn’t visit here much anymore. Between his duties as Emperor and spending time with his rappigs, he had few hours in the day for anything else. Oh and Aslan - he had Aslan too.

He watched the sullen faces of the people as they trudged through the still falling fluff, but his own face was filled with delight. As soon as it had started snowing, he had run to the window and shoved it open so he could thrust his hands out to catch snowflakes. That was how Aslan found Peony, half dangling out of the second floor window of the inn with a pile of snowflakes in his hands.

"Peony," Aslan reprimanded gently, and Peony simply laughed and threw the snow up into the air of their room. It fell in little wet drops all over himself and Aslan, who looked more like a snowman than an actual human being.

"I have an idea," Peony said, his lips spreading wide in a smile. He saw Aslan sigh, his shoulders lifting and falling dramatically, as Aslan dropped off his newly bought pack of supplies beside the warm hearth in their room. He gave Peony ‘the look’ from beneath his light fringe, and Peony could only offer his best puppy impression. "I swear it is not dangerous, or illegal, or problematic."

"But it does involve going back outside?" Aslan asked.

"For a little while," Peony admitted.

The Emperor saw the flicker of indecision on Aslan’s face before the softly muttered “Okay” approved Peony’s plan. In seconds he was dressed in a warm, gray coat, fluffy hat and thick gloves both in place and boots covering his feet, and he grabbed Aslan’s wrist.

They jogged together down the stairs, out the front doors, and to a little open park area where other children were already sledding down the hill. Peony peered out over the landscape, squinting against the glare of the sun peeking from behind snowclouds.

"A-hah!" he announced, and once more pulled Aslan over to a more private area. Immediately he crouched down, Aslan standing at his side with a bewildered expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" Aslan asked.

"Making a snowman, of course!"

Aslan likely couldn’t help it. He started to chuckle, and before long was helping Peony roll snowballs across the frozen grass into larger and larger orbs. As soon as it was satisfactory, Peony got to work on a secondary ball while Aslan worked on the head. They lifted the second one together on top of the first, then added the last to it.

They stepped back to admire their work. Aslan smiled and unthinkingly leaned his head on Peony’s shoulder, his light hair brushing the Emperor’s cheek. Here, they were simply Aslan and Peony, not general and Emperor. They could hold hands, each other, and it wasn’t seen as strange. Peony smiled from beneath the collar of his coat and wrapped his arm around Aslan’s waist.

"All it needs is a face," he murmured, "and a name."

"A name?"

"Yes, like Sir Snows-a-Lot."

"… You are kidding, right?"

"You have a better name?"

"Steven."

Peony laughed, throwing his head back and letting the sound fill the air between them. Lorelei - it felt so good to just laugh! He kissed Aslan’s cheek and nodded.

"Steven it is."

They found a few pebbles and branches with they fashioned into eyes, a nose, and a mouth, as well as arms. Peony reached under his coat collar and yanked his scarf free so he could wrap it around the snowman’s neck. Aslan added a spare hat from his pocket.

"Well, Steven looks incredibly fashionable."

"A blue scarf and a bright orange cap is considered fashionable?"

"Shh, silly," Peony chided and wrapped his arm around Aslan’s shoulders. "Steven might get insulted."

They stayed with their new friend for a few more minutes in silence until Peony could feel Aslan shaking under his arm. He quickly turned them back towards the inn and got them upstairs to their room.

"I will have hot cocoa sent up," Peony announced. "You get yourself out of those wet clothes."

A weary smile crossed Aslan’s face as he paused in taking off his gloves. “Shouldn’t you change too?”

"I will once we have steaming cups of hot chocolate up here."

Peony ducked into the hallway and slipped several gald to a servant girl waiting there for the very purpose of attending to the guests. She ran off to do as Peony asked. Reentering the room, he found Aslan pulling his pajama top on and climbing into their shared bed.

The Emperor took a moment to look over his lover. Aslan’s skin was a little pale, though his cheeks were rosy and his eyes bright. His shudders had nearly vanished when he curled into the blankets, a little smile that Peony knew was just for him on those perfect lips.

How lucky was he, to have such a friend, lover, partner? Though Peony kept their relationship a secret, Aslan was more than loyal, and often went through much hardship dealing with other soldiers. Peony couldn’t show favoritism to anyone, especially someone he thought of and was thought of so highly.

"Peony?" Aslan apparently noticed his staring and had his head tilted to the side. "Is something wrong?"

Peony shed his outer layers and hung them by the fire before stripping out of the rest of his clothing and changing into pajamas. He quickly slid in beside Aslan and felt the other man carefully fold him into a warm embrace. There was no need for a fire or blankets, not when he was held by Aslan; the heat of the other man’s body was more than enough.

"It was nice to see you so relaxed," Aslan commented, his fingers carding through Peony’s hair. "It’s so rare now."

"Well a country won’t run itself unfortunately, or I would have let the rappigs take over long ago. They might be better at my job."

"You’re a wonderful Emperor, a great leader, and I love you."

Peony felt a tear form at the corner of his eye. Such a simple statement, but worth more than gald or wealth to him. He leaned up so he could cup Aslan’s face and press his lips to the other’s in a gentle kiss. Aslan cradled his head like the rarest treasure.

"I love you too," Peony told him softly, the words meant only for them.

He settled again against Aslan and closed his eyes, the fingers in his hair continually stroking.

"I could read to you, if you’d like."

"No politics, no history, no - "

"What about  _The Lusty Sea Captain_?”

Peony chuckled, his hand coming to rest over Aslan’s stomach, his ear just over that wondrous heartbeat.

"That, I think, we can both enjoy."

And so, snowed in, they spent their evening together, peaceful, quiet, and full of laughter and joy.


End file.
